


A New Dawn

by StarWarsFics



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-19 01:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22302730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarWarsFics/pseuds/StarWarsFics
Summary: Anakin and Obi-Wan try to reach Qui-Gon who isn't giving any news since he went to his mission on Malachor. Renegade rescue mission.
Relationships: Dooku & Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rael Averross & Dooku, obi-wan kenobi & rael averross
Comments: 19
Kudos: 24





	1. Coruscant

The sky was absolutely magnificent. No matter how many times he would come back to Coruscant, Obi-Wan would always be mesmerized by this sunset, sad but so powerful and glittering. It was the closest thing that felt like a home nowadays.  
It felt good to be back after yet another difficult mission. The Corellian gangs had been a particular bother, it took him a year and a half to resolve the tensions rising between the official power and the rebellious separatist factions. So yes, a golden pink sky was a sight to behold.  
It reminded him of the numerous occasions Qui-Gon would sit with him watching the sky during missions, always in silence.  
But now he had to do it alone.

Time had been hard on the golden duo. Five years after Naboo, master and apprentice drifted apart. Qui-Gon was now close to his fiftieth birthday, and Obi-Wan just got out of his twenties, entering a new era of maturity.   
Qui-Gon chose to train Anakin, or to tell the truth, forced the High Council to follow his choice, and his previous apprentice never got the heart to take on an apprentice of his own.  
Again, and again, whenever Obi-Wan took some time off between mission, Master Yoda would knock on his door softly, asking him to visit the creche masters. Every time, the old master would drop hints it was high time for him to teach a youngling everything he knows.  
Of course, he would find excuses, saying he didn’t feel like the force was particularly linking him to a child, or that his missions were far too dangerous to risk such a fragile life. The truth he would never admit to Yoda was that he still felt like the twelve-year-old child, begging to be taken as a padawan. This incapable being, so weak, so lost. How could he take such a great responsibility when he was still so unsure about himself?  
How did Qui-Gon do? Being a master seemed so effortless back then. He remembered how confident Qui-Gon was even in the most impossible situations.  
Part of that explained why he was restless, jumping from one dangerous mission to another. He even built his early Jedi career on it, as he was known in the temple as “the crimson wolf”. He took the missions no one wanted, the dirty, complicated ones. To prove himself worthy of his position. To prove he didn’t become a Jedi knight solely because Qui-Gon had had enough of him. After all, it’s hard to compete with the Chosen One.  
Maybe with time, he’d get the hang of it and would let the past go.

The ship finally landed on the platform, and no one was there to welcome him. The war busied everyone, and it was taking all their strength to maintain a semblance of peace in the galaxy. But they knew, Obi-Wan knew they were just stalling until they found a sound plan.  
He finally entered his quarters, and his surroundings made him feel dirty. There wasn’t much in his quarters, he wasn’t there most of the time anyway, so it was easy to keep the room clean. Which is why he headed directly to the shower, not wanting to stain the sheets with mud, dust, and blood.  
The boiling hot water was a blessing on his bruised skin, it was the first time since before the Corellia mission he allowed himself to relax, and to breathe. After an hour under the sweet stream, he got reluctantly out and went to the sink. He leaned on the sink and looked up at himself in the mirror. The sight he was welcomed with was quite glum: his hair was long and tousled, his beard was out of control, and some wrinkles started to appear on his forehead and temples. He had to take care of this before someone saw this disaster.  
Just seconds after he finished cutting the sides of his hair, he heard soft knocks on the door. Someone noticed his arrival after all.

Obi-Wan couldn’t contain his surprise when he opened the door.  
“Anakin? Are you alright?”, he asked, puzzled.  
“Hello Knight Kenobi, may I come in?” the other answered in a whisper.  
“Of course.”  
They both sat on the only couch the room had. Time had gone by indeed. Anakin had grown so much, he was a proper teenager now. His jaw was squarer, a bit of beard was appearing on his face, and he looked obviously hardened by the training.  
“You look worried Anakin, what’s wrong?”  
“I… I didn’t know where to go, really. Qui-Gon went on a secret solo mission four months ago and left me in the care of master Plo. The only message I had from him is when he arrived in Malachor, but that’s it. I have no news, I can’t feel him through the force and I… I had a vision of him dying last night. I can’t stand by and do nothing, I won’t lose him! You have to help me Obi-Wan, please!” Anakin said, angrily.  
“Okay, breathe Anakin, I’m listening. I will try to help you the best I can. “Obi-Wan answered, reassuringly. But Obi-Wan was as worried as he was. Malachor was a place of death and a planet steeped in the dark side. Why would anyone send him there alone?  
“Have you talked to the council about your disturbance, Anakin?”  
“I tried, like a hundred times, but they won’t listen to me. They say I’m too hasty, that I should trust in the force, But I am Obi-Wan I swear! I’m not feeling him through the force, and this never happened before, the force is telling me something is wrong.” he said, tears in his eyes, from anger or from fear? Obi-Wan couldn’t tell.  
“I’ll try to talk to them and have more information about this mission. And if they do not listen to me either, we’ll find another way. There is always a way.”  
Anakin’s holophone rang. It took them both off their angst momentarily. The padawan wiped off his face and said with relief:  
“Thank you so much, Obi-Wan! I have to go, Master Plo is waiting for me, he is trying to teach me new katas.”  
Obi-Wan’s exhaustion disappeared. Only fear and anxiety replaced it. The same feeling, he had when he saw Qui-Gon fighting Darth Maul. This untameable panic rising in his core as if he was about to lose him again.


	2. Serenno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenobian angst to its best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dooku didn't fall to the dark side, but he remains Count of Serenno.

The next morning, beams of light coming through the curtains took him out of his drowse. After several hours of overthinking last night, Obi-Wan ended up sleeping out of sheer exhaustion, his body couldn’t take more stress than it had already suffered. Nevertheless, his mind had been very loud. He thought in his sleep all night. That is something he learned during his knighthood to maximize efficiency: he only half slept, thanks to the force.  
He tried to come up with an alternative plan, just in case the council didn’t help him, and the only solution he had found was very unpredictable, to say the least.  
“Let’s hope the masters will hear me out and may the force be with me,” he said out loud.  
The second habit he caught during his knighthood: talking to himself. It helped him organize his thoughts but he mostly got this quirk because of loneliness. For the last five years, he had been alone most of the time, except when he was back in the temple for a few weeks per year.  
The calmness of the temple unfailingly unsettled him because he was there to rest, and precisely, to do the absolute minimum, which was impossible to him. He thought he might explode if he stopped giving himself tasks to accomplish, even if it was only to re-organize the papers on his desk. His edginess was becoming increasingly unbearable, the more he sat doing nothing, the faster his thoughts were running in his head. To silence his mind, he put his neatly folded robes on, took a light breakfast and headed to the council chambers as fast as he could to give them his report on Corellia and most of all, to get Qui-Gon back home.

“Welcome back Knight Kenobi, glad to see you we are”, stated Yoda to start the session.  
Obi-Wan slightly smiled and bowed as a response.  
“Masters, Corellia is safe for now. As you can all see in the previous reports I sent, the factions and the government reached a satisfying compromise which eased the tensions in the population. But as every mission lately, this is, of course, a temporary result. Let’s hope the settlement will last.” continued Obi-Wan, calm as ever.  
“We thank you for your commitment, Obi-Wan. The council shall forever be in your debt,” said Mace.  
“You look disturbed Obi-Wan, has something gone wrong during the mission?”  
Ever since she was a padawan, Depa had always been the most perceptive of them, nothing escaped her piercing gaze.  
“Uhm… As a matter of fact, yes I am. Padawan Skywalker and I talked, and he said Master Jinn had been sent on a mission on Malachor, and that he hadn’t given any news since. May I have more information on the matter?” he answered, hesitantly.  
Yoda’s ears curved backward, which was a terrible sign.  
“Research on the Sith he wanted to do, to help us uncover this dark veil blinding us. Preliminary research Master Tholme did, to determine the place with the darkest energy, and Malachor it is,” said Yoda, with a shade of fear in his voice.  
“But… Why have you sent him alone to a place that dangerous?”  
It was maybe the first time in his life Obi-Wan questioned the Council’s decisions. But even after all these years, Qui-Gon was more important than anything.  
“We don’t have many resources left Obi-Wan, it takes all of our men and women to fight the separatists, hence we cannot afford to send more people on research because it could prove itself useless,” answered Ki-Adi-Mundi.  
Obi-Wan could have sworn he heard something break inside him. He actually sneered when he heard their answer.  
“What have we become? We are merchandising our own lives, we became mere numbers in an equation. Master Yoda, you’re the one who taught us a single life had infinite value. Is it that easy for you to put his life on the line when he already fought a Sith? Meanwhile, what have _you_ done?” his voice tinged with contempt. He felt his skin on fire, he was shaking trying to contain his anger.  
“We understand your worries Obi-Wan, but we have to trust the force now and hope he will come back safe and sound,” responded Mace in an attempt to calm the Knight down.  
“No you don’t Mace, and with all due respect, none of you do. Give me the means to go to Malichor, and I will help him myself.” Obi-Wan followed.  
“No, Obi-Wan. You are the crimson wolf, a vital asset to us right now. You saved us so many times and we owe you, but you cannot ask us this.” Mace objected.  
“I don’t care. I pledged my life to you, and have given everything for our safety. All I am asking is for a ship to help someone I care about.”  
His voice was oddly calm, but anyone looking at his sharp eyes could have guessed the menace he was.  
“Sound like your old Master you do. But over this conversation is, not a matter of negotiation this is. Right Master Windu is, a valuable asset you are, Obi-Wan. Do not let emotion cloud your judgment.” said Yoda.  
“Do not let deference cloud yours, Master,” Obi-Wan answered sarcastically, before storming out of the room.

So plan B it is.  
He went straight to his quarters. After all, even if they’d never been close friends, they both cared about Qui-Gon, he was certain of this.  
Obi-Wan was welcomed with what he expected. A hobo. But a Jedi. Rael Averross.  
“Hello old sport, how may I be of service for you?” Rael said, with a grin on his face.  
“I need your help Master Averross. It’s about Qui-Gon.” the other answered.  
The grin on his face immediately disappeared. Rael must have sensed Obi-Wan’s angst, and it was enough for him to be worried, because Obi-Wan had always been very collected, even as a padawan.  
“Come in, tell me everything,” he said, leading the way to his living room.  
It was the absolute opposite of Obi-Wan’s quarters. There were books everywhere, empty cups with used tea bags, tobacco on the table and a vague smell of Ylang-Ylang.  
Rael had to move a pile of clothes to give him some space to sit.  
The Knight told him everything. Anakin visiting him, the impossible debate he had with the council, Yoda’s disdain. His fears, his nightmares, the Naboo mission. There was something very comfortable about Rael. Maybe it was because he never made any compromises about himself. He was at ease with who he was. No lies, no fake appearances. Obi-Wan knew he could fully trust him, the force was certain of it. It felt good to share his burden with someone. 

“So they’re not giving us any backing,” finally said Rael.  
“Us?”  
“Well, I won’t stay idly by, kid. Qui-Gon is my oldest friend, probably one of the only friends I have. I’ve always looked after him, and it won’t change anytime soon. Fuck’em. If we can’t take their ships, then we’ll make the ship come to us.”  
“What do you mean?” Obi-Wan asked, utterly lost.  
“Trust me, kid, everything’s gonna be okay. I promise,” he answered.  
Rael took out his old holophone. He obviously was about to ask for help from outside.  
“We’re not the only friends Qui-Gon have”, Rael said. The grin was back.  
Shortly after, an imposing man appeared as a hologram. As tall as Qui-Gon, short white hair, white beard. His clothes were luxurious. Clearly, Qui-Gon and Rael had some wealthy friends around, this could indeed be very helpful.  
“Hello, my old Padawan.” said the man.  
“Hello, Master Dooku. We need your help”.


	3. The Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The renegade rescue group united at last.

Obi-Wan had never seen the man, Qui-Gon seldom talked about him or their partnership. Nevertheless, he had heard dozens of stories about him, praising his skills; of how he defeated an entire army by himself, of how he forced the council to reassess some old laws still in use, of how no one except Yoda was his match in fencing. 

And still, even though he was probably one of the best Jedi the entire order had ever seen, one day he just left. He wondered if all the gossip around him were true.

“Tis’ about Qui-Gon, Dooku. As always, that idiot just went alone and followed fuck knows whatever obsession he had.”

“Language Rael. But yes, he is an idiot indeed. Naturally, it is my duty to help in any way I can, he was my padawan after all, even if he is as foolish as he was twenty y....”

The voices fainted as Obi-Wan’s mind drifted to focus on small details no one noticed. Like how Dooku’s hands shook almost imperceptibly. Also, the fact that he was trying hard to have a perfect Coruscanti accent but that underneath he got the Serennian one. The painting behind him was a family portrait, with the parents, a boy on their right and a girl on their left. Was the boy him? And if it was, wasn’t it forbidden for Jedi to get close to their family?

He tried to focus back on the voices surrounding him.

“Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon’s previous padawan will also join us, he’s the one who sought help in the firs’ place,” said Rael.

It felt weird to the Knight to imagine the two of them together. Rael seemed to be the opposite of Dooku, in every way. Their personality was very different, their demeanor too.  _ To be honest, Qui-Gon is just as odd, it seems Master Dooku has very uncommon tastes. _ Despite that, he could feel they respected each other, and Dooku was treating his first padawan as an equal.  _ What could possibly link them?  _

“Good, I am eager to meet him, Qui-Gon always spoke highly of him during our meetings,” Dooku said.

_ Wait, meetings? Qui-Gon never even mentioned it! Was it the times he said he was studying in the library? _

“Where will you meet us?” Rael asked.

“Do you remember the Jungle I used to take you and Qui-Gon to train? There, at nightfall, no one will notice. If I use Jedi landing platforms, they certainly will not let any of us go, or worse, I would have to talk to Master Yoda,” he answered with disdain.

Qui-Gon used to take him there too. Obi-Wan loved that place. It was an abandoned industrial area and the only space in Coruscant filled with wilderness (aside from the temple of course). It had all the necessities for good training. Whenever he got a time out between missions, he would go there a couple of hours a week just to meditate, alone, and try to tune more with the living force. One of Qui-Gon’s legacy, a piece of him resisting time and estrangement.

Late at night, both Jedi silently sneaked out of the temple and successfully avoided all the guards. Coruscanti cityscapes revealed all their beauty at night, with all the lights on. The swift wind felt nice on their skin, it helped them focus on what was ahead. Both were already thinking about plans once they would be on Malachor. They needed to be ready, losing their friend was out of question.

On a narrow street near the rendezvous site, Rael and Obi-Wan felt a sentient being behind them. It was faint, the threat obviously knew how to hide.

First, they pretended not to notice. The menace slowly got closer to them, avoiding the grim glow the streetlights cast.

Then suddenly, when they felt its movements brushing their skin, Rael turned around and swiftly brought the shadow to its knees. In perfect synchronization, Obi-Wan drew out his blue lightsaber and put the blade close to its neck. With the light emanating from the blade, Obi-Wan finally recognized who it was.

“Anakin? Force! What are you doing here?”

“I want to be part of the mission!” he answered, out of breath.

“Is’ dangerous, kid. Not your usual negotiations.” Rael objected.

“I don’t care, please, I can help, he trained me well. Please Obi-Wan, he is my Master too, you understand why I have to.” Anakin insisted, trying to convince them with his fierce look.

The Knight hesitated, a long time. So long that he physically felt their gaze burning his pale skin.    
Of course, he understood him. He had felt helpless many times over his apprenticeship. Desperate to do something, to help his master out, but as a padawan he had never been as bold as Anakin. The defiance in his bones came later, out of loneliness, and thorough observation of what was around him. He had had a blind faith towards the order because he had let them down once, so he did everything to gain their trust back. And he had succeeded, after countless sacrifices. But what they were all doing now was wrong in every way, they had become the military wing of the senate, and they were not supposed to. He would not let rules steal the ones he loves, never again. 

“Yes, I understand. But I am not the one in charge. Rael, you are the Master, so it is your decision.” Obi-Wan answered.

“If it’s fine by you, then it ain’t a problem for me,” muttered Rael while looking around. 

Hearing the positive answer, Anakin’s face lit up.

When they finally arrived, Dooku was already there, waiting for them in front of his ship. He was even more intimidating face to face. What was frightening wasn’t his height or his stiff posture, but his eyes. You could feel how these dark circles were scrutinizing the depths of your soul to search for your worst fears.    
Obi-Wan and Anakin kept their distance, but Rael hadn’t hesitated at all. He got closer to the old man and hugged him. Dooku wasn’t even surprised, he immediately responded to the embrace.  _ What was going on?  _ Their force bond was obviously very strong.    
The Knight and the Padawan respectfully bowed, and Dooku did the same. 

The renegade rescue group united at last. 


	4. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late-night talks and lineage bonding.

They entered hyperspace not long after setting off, Dooku's ship was performing well, one of the latest models. Not the fastest, but the toughest, a perfect choice for their destination. None of the Jedi in the group had been to Malachor. It was known as a cursed place amongst Jedi, the perfect place in a ghost story if you wanted to give a fright to adventurous younglings. Dark, smothering, nightmarish. 

They were halfway through the journey and yet hadn't talked to each other besides necessary courtesies.

Inadvertently, they all joined up around the table to have a last nourishing meal before the exhausting mission that was awaiting them.

Dooku spoke first. 

"You are quite famous Obi-Wan, we hear the stories of the Crimson Wolf even in the outer rim. I find your achievements impressive, and I am proud. If you ever find your way to Serenno, know that you will always be welcomed."

"Thank you, Master. But these stories are merely baseless rumors from people mesmerized by our ways. I am just a Knight", answered Obi-Wan modestly. 

"All stories bear truth in them", snapped Rael with a deeper voice, imitating his Master. It didn't seem to upset the other, he even chuckled. 

"And you, Anakin, how is the apprenticeship going with Qui-Gon?", continued Dooku, shifting his gaze from left to right.

" Good, I think. He is trying to teach me how to be one with the living force and to have a more empa… empathetic approach with people", said the youngest, clumsily.

Dooku rolled his eyes at the answer, he seemed annoyed with his old padawan's approach.

"Of course, he is. Tell him he ought to teach you negotiation techniques instead, it would be more useful to you. Now you should get some rest, Padawan, you will be challenged in many ways shortly."

"Yes, Master", answered Anakin. He didn't even contest. Either he was tired or even more intimidated by the figure. He left the space shortly after finishing his meal. 

The three oldest remained in the room.   
Obi-Wan was dying to ask him. The question burned his lips from the moment they met.

"Master Dooku, may I ask you a question ?" asked Obi-Wan, hesitantly.

"Of course." 

"When did you knew that it was time for you to leave the order ?"

"When I was out of faith for the order. When I was so frustrated with being ignored I lashed out and gave up. I'm afraid I left when I knew the order had nothing more to give me except pain. Why are you asking me this Obi-Wan ?". 

"I… I feel lost. I know we are not doing the right thing but I don't know what to do to help. Some of us tried talking with the members of the council but only a few are willing to listen. I have faith in us. I know you left but… maybe if the order doesn’t have any more to offer you, you can offer them your help instead. They respect you and would be willing to hear you out.”   
“No. I am glad you still find your place in the order, but I don’t, I need more. I need to be useful and do something, at least my people listen to me. And if you want to leave the order, know that you can. You are not alone.”  
“I understand”, answered Obi-Wan, disappointed.   
“I sense you still have other questions Knight Kenobi,” Dooku said, gravely.   
Rael looked out of the corner of his eye with a smirk. He had been reading some early reports on the planet but still had his attention turned to the conversation.   
It was the first time Obi-Wan met his Master’s Master, and it was a golden opportunity for having more backstory about him. Even after all these years, Qui-Gon still felt like a stranger to him, as if there was some obscure part he had buried in him.   
“Yes… Uhm… How was Qui-Gon? I mean as a padawan?”   
“He was special. What first attracted me to him was his deep bond with the living force, that I never had. We were quite different, but we pushed each other to our best and in the end, he taught me as much as I taught him. Even if we strongly disagree about a lot of things, I know he is capable because I raised him”.   
There was a sadness in his voice, or was it just longing?   
Rael continued:   
“Remember how he used to sneak animals into your quarters? You’d get mad each time he did it, and you used to have your biggest fights abou’ it. But he’d always say dat sentence you taught him…”  
“We help those who cannot help themselves” they both answered together, all of them smiling.  
 _Oh, pathetic lifeforms. He did that even back then._   
  


After a while, they all got to their quarters to have some sleep. Being surrounded by quietness gave Obi-Wan the ideal setting to sit and reflect on his path. Maybe his partnership with Qui-Gon wasn’t so different from the one Qui-Gon and his master had. They were extremely different, that was true.    
Obi-Wan used to be angry and devastated when thinking about the abrupt separation they experienced. He felt abandoned and weak for not being good enough.    
His apprenticeship had been bumpy, full of friction, and when observing his new apprentice, he felt how easy it came for both of them: a natural bond linked Anakin and Qui-Gon.    
He saw some of his Master in Anakin, the same boldness. They acted on their own terms, and there were times he was jealous of it, and then full of shame for feeling that way. No amount of meditation could erase these thoughts, only work achieved to put his mind to rest.    
The Knight used to think Qui-Gon abandoned him because he was too different from him, unlike Anakin. But now, talking to Dooku gave him another perspective.    
That tension between them had taught him so much. Qui-Gon had always been there to give another perspective, to calm his worst anxieties and to not let anyone belittle him. In return, Obi-Wan had taught him to be more consilient, and smooth in his talks to avoid diplomacy incidents.    
Overall, with time, bitterness had eventually disappeared and had been replaced by a sad empty space, waiting for Qui-Gon. Despite everything, Obi-Wan knew in his heart that he wouldn’t have wanted another Master, not for anything in the galaxy. Because it was Qui-Gon Jinn,   
Jedi Master, his best partner in crime and friend. 


End file.
